Edge-finishing machine



May 13, 1930. w. J. JOHNSON V 1,758,401

I EDGE FINISHING MACHINE Filed April 4, 1928 4 Sheets-Shet 1 y 1930- I w. J. JOHNSON 1,758,401

EDGE FINISHING MACHINE Filed April 4, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheetv 2 y 1930. w. J. JOHNSON I 1,758,401

EDGE FINISHING MACHINE Filed April 4, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet -s y 13, w. J. JOHNSON 1,758,401

- EDGE FINISHING MACHINE Patented May 13, 1930 men STATE-S,

PATENT oFF'I-cE- WILLIAM J. JOHNSON, or OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA EDGE-FIN SHING MACHINE p ucationfmea April 4, 192's.- Serial 110.26%,41'7.

5 machine of the character described which is particularly adapted forfinishing convexedv l'y' curved edges of articles cut from relatively straight grained-material. A

Another object of the invention is to prom vide a machine of, the class described which i-sarranged to operateon curved edges formed by cutting grained material in a direction from rather than toward the edge portion which parallels the grain.

Stillanother object of the invention is to provide azmachine of the character described in which a constantly rotating cutter means is carried by a movable carriage.

A further object of the invention is'to' pro vide a machine of the character described in which means are provided.for automatically disposing an article to be finished in proper relation to the cutters in accordance with the position of the cutter carriage whereby the position of the cutter carriage is the controlling factorin the use of the machine.

A still further object of the invention is to provide for the automatic ejection of a finished article from the machine whereby a subsequent placement therein of an unfinished article may be facilitated.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described which is particularly adapted for finr ishing the convex from wood. I

1 The invention possesses other objects .and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the follow ing specification and in the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is an end view of a machine em bodying the invention.

Figures 2', 3 and 4 are reducedend views similar to' Figure 1, but showing the operative parts of the machine in di fferent'operative relations to. each other and to a hanger to be finished.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the showing of Figure-'1. f

edges of coat hangers cut for different Figure 6 is a fragmentary view taken on the line 6'6 in Figure 1. I Figure '7 is a fragmentary view taken on the line 7o7 in Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a front View of the showing of Figure 1. t 7

Figure9 is a diagrammatic view showing the various-positions of the cutter carriage points in an operative cycle of themachine. I Figure 10 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the structure.

I Figure 11 is a fragmentary v'i ewztaken on the line 1111 in Figure 8.. Figure 12 is a right side view'of the showing of Figure 11. V

Figure 13 is a fragmentary View of a portionof the machine. g p

v Figure l lis' a right side view of the showing of Figure 13. L l j Figure 15' is a fragmentary-view showing a hanger-ejecting device of themachine;

Figure 16 is a right-side view ofthe showingofFigure 15; andFigure'l? is a side view of a clothes hanger body: l I As, herewith particularly disclosed, the mechanism of the device is mountedon a generally rectangular frame 17 formed;- of

angle iron. A horizontal drive shaft 18' is journalled in the frame adjacentthe'bottom thereof, said shaftcarrying a pulley 19 for bel't'edfconnection to a suitable source of power (not shown).

Pivotally carried on the shaft 18 isa cutter carriage 21, said carriage being mounted at one end of an arm. 22 having provided at the other end thereof an elongated bearing 23 engaging the shaft 18 wherebythe arm is arranged for movement about the shaft in a plane perpendicular to the shaft axis. The carriage 21, it will be noted, provides a mounting for a-pair of arbor shafts 24 and an idler shaft 25 all of said shafts being parallelly related to the axis of the drive shaft 18.

Preferably, and as shown, the shafts 24 are disposed at opposite sides of the arm 22 and at equal distances from the drive shaft axis.- As here shown, the shafts 24 and 25 are respectively journalled in elongated bearings 26' and 27 carried 0.1.1 the member 21 and are provided at corresponding protruding ends thereof with pulleys 28 and29, respectively, said pulleys being disposed in a common plane perpendicular to the drive shaft axis. A pulley 31 is fixedly secured to the drive shaft 18 in the plane of the pulleys 28 and 29 and isoperatively connectedwith the latter by means of an endless belt 32 soconnected around and between the various pulleyssthat the different pulleys 28 will be caused to rotate oppositely at "any time, a typical installation of the belt 32 for this purpose being shown in Figures 1 to 4inclusive. 1

Gutters 33 and 34 are provided on the shafts 24 at opposite ends thereoffrom the pulleys 28, said cutters' ibeingdisposedfin coplanar relation, ,with their -pla-ne perpendicular to the shaft axis. The cutters33 and 34 are here shown of equal diameter wherehy','by reason of'the equal spacing of their shafts from the drive shaft, points-of their peripheries nearest the axis of the drive shaft willbe equally spaced from said axis. lnthis'manner, a

.swingingof the arm 22-about theshaft axis will move said last mentioned points of both cutters in a common Working are generally above the top of the frame, 1 r

In using the device, an oscillation of the' arm 22 through a limited arcis arranged for, and means areaccordinglyprovided for pro ducing such movement. In thepresentin 1 stance, the oscillation of'the arm 22 is ar-' Yis particularly arranged for smoothing rounding the convex edges 36 of wooden Y clothes hangers 37 which have been cut from 'flatstock by means of a scroll saw or similar means, said hangers having concave edges ranged to be manually effected-and a handle *is accordingly provided for the cutter mounting now described. As shown, the handle 35 is in the form of aro'd extending from the member 21 adjacent its point of attachment to the arm 22 beyond the plane of 'the pulleys28'and 29 whereby an'operator may readily grasp the same from the front of the machine for controlling thepositi-oning of the carriage and cutters. V i e It will now be notedthat the present device I 38 of generally 'the same curvature as are the edges36, and parallel flat sides 39. The cur vature of a hanger edge 86 must be substantially that of the arc of movement of the Worhingpoints of the cutters in order that the cutters may maintain a working engage-o ment therewith forthe entire length of said edge.

. Means are provided for releasably holding ahanger in set position for the operation of one or both of the cutters thereon as the carriage 21 is oscillated in'the manner described.

Itjwill now benoted, however, thatin primarily cutting the hangers, the grain of the wood willusually parallel the hanger edges 38 only atithe centers of said edges and that the gram of the wood Willterminate :at these edges in oblique relation thereto at other points therealong. It is therefore necessary that the cutters be caused tQWOlk both ways from the center of the hanger rather than to- Ward said center, and the holding and positioning means are accordingly so arranged as to provide for such operation of the cutters on the hanger.

Essentially and as shown, the hanger holding means comprises a holder 40 in the form of a clamp having cooperating jaws 41 and 42 liingedly connected and arranged to be cooperatively engaged against opposite sides of fing substantially that of the hanger edge36.

The plate member 45 is provided in a face thereof with a pair of grooves 47, said grooves extending parallel to each other and transversely of the plate45 and being arranged to receiveribs 48 provided on the outer side of the clamp jaw 42. Preferably, and as shown, the ribs 48-"are arranged for a dovetailed engagement in the correspondingly shaped grooves 47 whereby the clamp 40'is held to theplateandrelative movement ofthe'plate and-clamp in the line of the grooves is at the same time permitted,

Hangersupporting projections 49 are provided adj a'cent the bottom of one of the jaws; ashere shown, the projections '49 comprise pins extending from the jaw 42 toward the jaw 41 fora distance which is less than the thickness of a hanger, In this manner, like hangers may be successively and similarly positioned in the jawswith their lower edges 38 disposed on the pins 49.- a

It will now be noted that when the holder 40 is in a lower position with respect to the plate 45 which supports it, it will dispose a hanger therein in the plane of the cutters 33 and 34 but below the working path thereof, while a raising of the clamp and hanger on theplate is arranged to dispose the hanger inthe path of thecutters.

Referring particularly to the diagram matic Figure 9, it will be noted that when the car riage 21-is atone extreme end of its arc of travel, as shown atrA, the clamp 40 is arranged to be disposed in itslowered'position. On the other hand, when the carriage is at or'betw'een the points B and D, it

is arranged to be fully raised, it thus being clear that the change in position of the cars riage is arranged to be effected as it moves between the. points A and B in either direchanger holding clamp While the carriage moves'betwe'en said positions A- and Ethereof, it being noted that Figures" 1 and 2' respe'etively show the carriage i'nsaid positions.

Preferably, and as shown, the control of the positioning of the hangerholder 40 is'arranged to be automatically effected in accordance with the disposal" of the carriage 21. Piyotedat oneend thereof-t the frame mem; ber 43ffor' ln'evement about an a' zris parallel to that of the drive shaft, is acam lever 51 having'an arouately curved lower edge 52': A link 58 connects between" an intermediate point of the lever 51 and apoint of the plate 43 hen the holder 40 is in raised position, the center of curvature of'the lever edge 52 is arranged to lie in the axis of the'dr-ive shaft 18; A roller 54 is mounted on carriage arm 22 for engagement with the lever edge 52 whereby it supports the lever 51 and holder 40 atpall times- As long as the roller 54 engages the lever at theh-nk side of a plane determined by the lever and shaft axes,

the movement of therol ler' along the lever edge 52 will efiect no change in positioning of the holder, but if such point of engagement of the roller with the lever shifts to the other side of said plane, then the lever and holder will assume lower positions. The latter condition is ai-rangedtooljtain during the shift of the carriage from A to positions thereof, the relationship being particularly brought out in Figure 11-.- In this manner the hanger holder is arranged to be raised as the carriage moves from A to B positions, continues its" raised positioning as the carriage moves from B to D and back to B, and l'owirs" again as the carriage moves from-B- to, v

ivieans are also provided for controlling the relation of the clam aws' 41- and 42' in accordance with' the positioning of thearm 22-. De ending from the free lamp jaw 41- below the pivot'pointthereof is arm 55, said arm terminating in a member 56 disposed generally parallel to the plane of movement of the arm 22. A bracket 57 extendsfreni the arm 22 toward the plane of the member 56" and carries roller 58 for constant engagement ivith said member. The relation of the member and roller issuchthat while the'cu-tter' carriages between the B' and D positions theretf the engagerrant of the roller with theininber so disposes the jaw arm 55 as" to hold the aws 41 and 42in han er-cram ing relation. That portioii 59 of themeiiiber 56 however which is arranged to be engagedby the roller 58 when-the carriage is between the A and Bpos'itionethereof is ofisetrearwardly out of the general plane of the ineii'ib er' where'- the are arranged to separate to relea s'e h rs t e s fiatt is P t- 6 t w n eyes: In this meme, 8: r'mb'va of a finished hanger and the insertion of another is permitted while the holder 40 is in it depresssd position.

It will now be noted that if the hanger should be disposed with the arcuate edge 36 thereof in concentric relation to the-working arc of the cuttersf33 and 34, both of said we ters would be operative against said edge as c the carriage movestrom B' to D and back to B'. If however, the plate 45 istilted' about its pivotal axis, the hanger may be disposed so that but one end thereof lies in the path of a cutter. Since, as hereinbefore indicated, it is desirable that the cutters work from an intermediate point of the edge 36toward its end,the holder 40 is arranged to be tilted accordingly. I

It will now be noted that whenthe carriag'e is disposed at the position as in Figure I, the forward cutter 33 is arranged to of said edge. In the present embodi-1nent,-thetilting of the holder is arranged to be sueh that the forward end of theihan'ger is'rai sed during a forward stroke of the cutter carriage and the rearward end of the hanger isr'aised' during the rearward movement of the hanger; This disposal of the holder iseffected by tilte ing the plate about its pivotal axis where by the lowered portion of the hanger is dis posed out of the are of action of the cutters. In this manner, the forward end o'f the hanger is engaged by the cutter 83 during a forward stroke of the cutter carriage and the rearward end of'the hanger is engaged by the cutter-34 during a rearward stroke of the cutter carriage 21,-it being noted that when the carriage is in its forward posi= tion, the rear cutter 3 4-'is arranged to overlie the center of the hanger. i. V

In view of the foregoing, means, are provided for effecting the required tilting ofthe plate 45' in accordance with the disposal of the carriage arm 22. Disposed generally beneath andalong the lower edge 61 of the plate 45 is a rod 62 carrying forward and rear rollers 63 and 64 respectively. Said rollers are spaced apart a distance slightly exceeding the length of the edge 61 and are mounted in guideway's' 65 provided on the frame member 43 to permit a limited longitudinal reciprocation of the rod 62. In either tilted position of the plate 45, one of the rollers 63 or 64 is arranged toengage beneath the plate edge 61 while the other lies beyond the end of said edge to permit said tilting. Thus, as shown in Figures 10 and 13, the forward roller 63 is engaged beneath the edge 61 while the arm 22 is in its rearward position whereby the forward portion of the hanger would be raised as is required during a forward stroke of the carriage; t r I u .7 For controlling the disposal of therol'l'ers,

V 7 pins 66 extend from'the rod-62 into the path of movement of the arm 22, theiforward one of said pins being here shownarranged for engagement by the front edge of the arm 22 while the other is arranged for engagement by the rear edge of said arm.' The rearward pin 66is so disposed on the rod that when the rod is in its forward position. this pin will be engaged by the arm 22when the carriage is moving rearwardly and is substantially in the position B. In this manner, the tilting of the plate is arranged to be efiected before theforwardcutter stroke is made. Asimilar relation exists for the disposal of the forward pin 66 whereby, when the carriage is in the position D in its forward stroke the rear rollmovement of the cutter carriage.

er 64 is drawn beneath the plate edge 61 to oppositely tilt. the plate. clear that the tilting of the holder l0 is arranged to be automatically effected in accordance with the disposaland ,directionof Depending from the frame member 43 adjacent the forward end of the holder is a arc of curvature of the hanger edge 36 thereatu Preferably, and as shown, a screw 72 is provided through the arm 71 to provide a stop against which the opposed end of a hanger 37 is arranged to engage when the holder 40 is in its lower position. A stop 73extends from the frame member 43 for limiting the 7 forward. movement of thelever arm 71. In

this manner, the inner end of the screw 72 is arranged to provide an adj ustably disposable stop against which the forward endof the hanger is arranged tobe disposed by an operator while the-holder 4:0 is depressed and the aws thereof are open, the adjustment of the stop permitting an exact roper positioning of the hanger in the hol er. The screw 72 would, of course, remain set fora partic ular lot of hangers to be finished in themachine. i

It will now benoted that when the holder is in lowered position with a hanger loosely mounted therein and engaging the lever screw 72, a pivotal displacement of the lever is ar-' 55;

' rearwardly from the holder. Mounted on an arm 74; of the bracket 67 for guided move-v ranged to be effected for ejecting the hanger ment against the lever arm v69 is a plunger member 7 5 having an enlarged head 76 for engagement with the arm 69. Mounted below the plimger 7 5 and normally engaging the lower end thereof is asecond plunger 77. The plunger 77 is resiliently and yieldingly urged to maintain an upper position thereof,

inwhich. position it is arranged to normally It will thus be lar 79 and the bottom wall of the cavity.

Mounted on the bracket 67 below the bracket arm 7 8 is a bell crank lever'82 having one arm 83. thereof normally horizontal and the other arm 84 depending in a generally vertical direction. The arm 83 is perforated and is disposed for loosely receiving the lower end ofthe plunger77 through its perforation. A nut 85 is threadedly mounted on the plunger 77 below the arm 83whereby it may be adjusted for supporting the lever arm 83 and at the sametime permits a raising of said arm. A vertically adjustable extension 86 is preferably provided for the arm 84. Depending from the bracket 67 is a vertically adjustable extension 87 providing an opening therethrough for-the reception of the free end of a rod 88rpivoted to the carriage arm 22 and carrying a trip member 89 for engagement with the lever extension 86.

Preferably,the-trip member 89 is adjustably disposed on the rod'88, in the present embodiment, said member comprises a Hat ring and is engaged between nuts 91 threadedly engaging the rod. 7

a. It will now be noted that when the carriage arm 22 is in its rearmost position, as shown in Figure 15, the trip member 89 is arranged to be disposed behind the extension 86, and that said member is arranged to lie in front of said extension whenthe arm 22 is in its forward position. In this manner,

as the arm 22 moves forward, the member 89 will engage the extension 86 and so rock the lever to lift the lever arm 83 along the plunger 77 without affecting the positionin of said plunger. On the return stroke 0 the rod 88, the engagement ofthe member 89 with the extension 86 will cause a reverse rocking of the lever, and so, by reason of the engagement of the arm 83 with the nut 85- on the plunger-77, displace the plunger downwardly against the resistance of the spring 81. The engaging relation of the trip member 89 and extension 86 is such that whenv the lever is rocked through a considerable angle, the member 89 will move under the extension 86 and so free the lever for a return movement. The action of the spring 81 is arranged to effect a sudden upward movement of the plunger 77, which movement is communicated to the upper plunger 7 5 which exerts a sudden blow against the lower arm 69-of the lever68 and so causes the rocking of the lever 68 to eject the hanger. The ejeccle, a cutter carriage reciprocable in a fixed tion operation now described, it is noted, is arranged to take place while the cutter carriage moves from its B position toits A position, the release of the plunger 77 preferably occurring just as the A position is reached.

Briefly the operation of the machine now described is as. follows, it being clear that the cutters are arranged to be constantly operated at a proper speed while the machine is in use. When the carriage is at the position A, a hanger 37 is inserted in the holder l0 by the operator who then grasps the handle 35 and swings the carriage 21 forwardly.

By the time the carriage reaches the B position, theholder jaws have been clamped about the hanger and the holder has been raised to dispose the forward portion of the hanger within the working arc of the forward cutter 33. As the cutter 33 reaches the end of the hanger edge 36, the carriage is in the position C, at which time the arm 22 engages the forward pin 66 of the roller rod 62 whereby motion of the carriage from position C to osition D is arranged to effect a reversal o the tilting of the hanger. When the carriage reaches the extreme forward position D the rear cutter 34 overlies the center of the hanger edge 36, so that the subsequent backward movement of the carriage to the position B will cause the cutter 34 to finish the rear half of said edge. When the position B is reached, the rear pin 66 of the roller rod 62 is engaged by the arm 22, and between the positions B and A, reversal of the tilting of the hanger holder again takes place,the holder is lowered and opened, and the ejection of the finished hanger takes place in the manner described. This completes a cycle of operations of the machine, it being clear that the various operations respecting the disposal of a hanger with respect to the working path of the cutters arev automatically efiiected in accordance with the position and directing of motion of the cutter carriage.

I claim:

1. In an edging machine for operation on an arcuate edge of an article formed of grained fibrous material, said edge extending generally as the grain of the material and being parallel to the grain at an intermediate point of the edge, a cutter carriage manually oscillatable in a fixed arcuate path, a pair of oppositely rotating and coplanar rotary cutters mounted on said carriage for movement in a common path, a shiftably mounted holder for releasably engaging the article, and means operable by the opposite travels of the cutter carriage to dispose said holder to present the difierent portions of said edge at opposite sides of said point for engagement by a different cutter.

2. In a machine for finishing-a curved edge of an article, a movable holder for the artipath, a pair of relatively fixed oppositely rotating cutters on said carriage arranged to travel along said edge and in a fixed and common path during the movement of-said r 3 Q carriage, and means operable by the opposite travels of the cutter carriage for variably disposing said holder with respect to said path whereby difierent of said cutters are arranged to operatively engage a common central point of said edge in the different extreme positions of the carriage. 7

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signa- 

